New England manager Sam Allardyce has elected to keep Wayne Rooney as the captain of his Three Lion side.

The Manchester United star has garnered great respect among his teammates over the years and is also the nation’s all-time leading goal-scorer, which has led Allardyce to the conclusion that no change of leadership is necessary.

‘Wayne has been an excellent captain for England and the manner in which he has fulfilled the role made it an easy decision for me to ask him to continue,’ the manager explained, reports Sky Sports.

‘Wayne’s record speaks for itself. He is the most senior member of the squad and he is hugely respected by his peers. All of these factors point towards him being the right choice to lead the team,’ he added.

Rooney is expected to lead the team in his 116th appearance for England against Slovakia in World Cup qualifying on Sunday.

His latest appearances will take him ahead of David Beckham as the second most capped England player of all time, a further nine short of goalkeeper Peter Shilton’s record of 125 caps.

Kick-off is at 18:00.